Cadre (politics)

In political contexts, a cadre (/ˈkɑːdrə/, also UK: /ˈkɑːdər/, also US: /ˈkɑːdreɪ/) consists of persons who function as leaders within a political organization. In some socialist states, a cadre is a group of people trained to carry out the goals of the party-state and to disseminate and enforce official ideology. These groups aim to stimulate loyalty by mobilizing citizens and by encouraging ideological and policy consensus. Cadres can be deployed in the field or employed in central offices by a political party, by the state, or by the secret police. They are often formed in order to break apart existing class hierarchies among citizens of a party-state. Such cadres have operated in a number of different countries: for example in the Soviet Union (1922 to 1991) and in Ethiopia during the Derg (1974 to 1987). As of 2025 the People's Republic of China maintains a cadre system.